Rodney Ascher, director of the mesmerizing documentary Room 237, has a new film headed our way. Dubbed The Nightmare, this documentary covers the phenomenon of sleep paralysis. How does it do this? By staging recreations of the experiences of several sleep paralysis sufferers. A lot of these involve visits by malicious entities, as evidenced in the picture above.
Reports from the first screening at Sundance were extremely positive, with many complimenting the film’s blending of documentary and horror. The subject itself is a fascinating and unexplored one, and even though I’ve never experienced sleep paralysis (that I know of), the concept is inherently terrifying and ripe for exploration.
Room 237 was a hypnotic and enlightening experience in regards to how people dissect and interpret art. It blurred the lines between documentary and thought piece in a way that made me excited for what topic Ascher would tackle next. The Nightmare will be hitting theaters and VOD on June 5. courtesy of Gravitas Ventures, and I’ll be seeing it however I can.
Have you experienced sleep paralysis, Chewers? What are some of the apparently terrifying apparitions you’ve encountered? The comments and forums hunger for your responses.